Principal Concept Artist

Frontier is an independent video game developer and publisher, crafting immersive gaming experiences with fun gameplay and unparalleled artistic quality. Renowned for its iconic creative management simulation games, Frontier captivates players worldwide with immersive and authentic game worlds. The modern studio is located in the vibrant technology hub of Cambridge (UK). The talented team at Frontier are dedicated to nurturing our existing portfolio and delivering our exciting future roadmap. This role is offered on a full in-studio basis or a hybrid basis (minimum 3 days per week in the studio). We can provide a comprehensive relocation support package as part of any offer, should you need to relocate. WHAT’S THE ROLE? We’re looking for a highly experienced Principal Concept Artist to help define and elevate the visual direction of our projects. In this role, you’ll sit at the forefront of creative development, combining exceptional artistic skill with strategic thinking and leadership. You’ll play a key role in shaping the look and feel of our worlds, working closely with Art Direction and cross‑disciplinary teams to deliver compelling, high‑quality visual experiences. WHAT YOU'LL BE DOING Define and guide the creation of high-quality concept art across key content areas, including characters, environments, props, and visual storytelling elements. Work closely with the Art Director to interpret and extend the project’s visual vision, translating it into clear, actionable concept direction. Act as the primary concept point of contact within the project, ensuring alignment between Art Direction and concept delivery. Lead and support the concept team within the project, providing clear direction, feedback, and guidance to ensure consistent, high-quality output. Mentor and develop artists at all levels, supporting progression, capability building, and leadership growth where appropriate. Take creative briefs and explore a wide range of visual solutions, refining them into strong, production-ready directions. Establish and communicate clear visual targets, benchmarks, and supporting material to guide concept artists and downstream teams. Break down high-level creative direction into modular, production-ready concepts aligned with modelling, animation, design, and implementation requirements. Provide high-level feedback across teams, ensuring clarity, consistency, and alignment of concept work across all areas. Collaborate closely with design, production, and other art disciplines to ensure concept work supports gameplay, narrative, and technical constraints. Represent the concept discipline in project planning, reviews, and cross-team discussions, supporting alignment and decision-making. Support planning, scoping, and prioritisation of concept work in collaboration with Production and project leadership, ensuring alignment with delivery needs. Contribute hands-on concept work where appropriate to establish quality benchmarks and resolve complex visual challenges. Support teams in managing outsourced concept work, ensuring clear direction, effective feedback, and alignment with project standards. Identify and contribute to improvements in workflows, pipelines, documentation, and discipline practices, supporting efficiency, clarity, and quality across the project. WHAT YOU'LL BRING A strong portfolio demonstrating expert-level concept design across multiple disciplines and styles. Significant experience in senior or leadership-level concept art roles within the games industry. Exceptional artistic skill, with deep understanding of anatomy, composition, perspective, lighting, and visual storytelling. Proven ability to translate high-level artistic vision into clear, actionable concept direction. Strong understanding of how concept art supports modelling, design, gameplay, and narrative. Experience guiding and supporting teams to deliver high-quality concept work. Demonstrated ability to provide clear, constructive feedback that im…